4 18-0718 Subject: OFD Update On Vegetation Management Plan And EIR
From: Councilmember Kalb
Recommendation: Receive An Update Regarding The Oakland Fire Department's (1) Vegetation Management Plan And (2) The Plan's Environmental Impact Report
The National Academy of Sciences has published its recommendations for major revision of forest management to reduce fire hazards. This major change in policy is required because of climate change and expansion of communities into forests. Past practice was to reduce fuel loads on millions of acres of forests. This strategy is no longer effective because of drought and higher temperatures. NAS recommends that tree removals be confined to creating defensible space immediately around structures (100 ft), restricting new developments in high fire hazard zones and building with materials that retard ignition.
Oakland’s Vegetation Management Plan should reflect the latest developments in fire science. The final plan should be consistent with the recommendations of NAS: Tania Schoennagel, et. al., “Adapt to more wildfire in western North American forests as climate changes,” Proceedings of National Academy of Sciences, May 2017
I am supportive of the Draft Vegetation Management Plan because it will create defensible space around structures in high fire hazard zones; it will clear easily ignited vegetation on roadsides in places where fire hazards are greatest; it sets priorities for places where fire hazards are greatest.
These elements of the plan will reduce fire hazards while limiting destruction of trees, reducing herbicide use, and being fiscally responsible. Unfortunately, after spending 5 months being revised by people in City Hall with interests other than fire safety, the plan has morphed into a native plant “restoration”.
The plan should be revised to return it to its mission, which is reduction of fire hazards: The 300-foot “buffer zone” around structures and roadsides must be reduced to the 100-foot defensible space standard of California law. Also, no individual non-native trees outside legally-defined defensible space should be destroyed because they are NOT a fire hazard.
The National Academy of Sciences has published its recommendations for major revision of forest management to reduce fire hazards. This major change in policy is required because of climate change and expansion of communities into forests. Past practice was to reduce fuel loads on millions of acres of forests. This strategy is no longer effective because of drought and higher temperatures. NAS recommends that tree removals be confined to creating defensible space immediately around structures (100 ft), restricting new developments in high fire hazard zones and building with materials that retard ignition.
Oakland’s Vegetation Management Plan should reflect the latest developments in fire science. The final plan should be consistent with the recommendations of NAS: Tania Schoennagel, et. al., “Adapt to more wildfire in western North American forests as climate changes,” Proceedings of National Academy of Sciences, May 2017
I am supportive of the Draft Vegetation Management Plan because it will create defensible space around structures in high fire hazard zones; it will clear easily ignited vegetation on roadsides in places where fire hazards are greatest; it sets priorities for places where fire hazards are greatest.
These elements of the plan will reduce fire hazards while limiting destruction of trees, reducing herbicide use, and being fiscally responsible. Unfortunately, after spending 5 months being revised by people in City Hall with interests other than fire safety, the plan has morphed into a native plant “restoration”.
The plan should be revised to return it to its mission, which is reduction of fire hazards: The 300-foot “buffer zone” around structures and roadsides must be reduced to the 100-foot defensible space standard of California law. Also, no individual non-native trees outside legally-defined defensible space should be destroyed because they are NOT a fire hazard.